Reid Peppard is probably the only person who feels a rush of excitement when she sees a dead animal lying on the side of the road. To her, it isn't a rotting carcass, but a thing of beauty just waiting to have life breathed into it. Peppard's London-based fashion line, RP/Encore, uses taxidermy to turn dead creatures, namely rodents and vermin, into wearable accessories. Many have serious issues with just how "wearable" her pieces are, however, which range from full-on rat headpieces to pigeon feather necklaces.

Peppard was studying fine arts at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London when she became interested in taxidermy. For her, it seemed a natural marriage to combine her skills as an artist and taxidermist, and she sees her work as walking the line between fashion and fine art.

To be clear, you can take comfort in the fact that no animals are suffering for fashion here. Peppard, who is a vegetarian, uses animals that are "victims of roadkill, pest control, or natural death," with the occasional use of a feeder rat.

But is there really anything comfortable about this?

"If you don't like it, then just look away," Peppard offers to those who are offended by her "Vermin Collection." "So many people are unwilling to look inwards. They are unable to see beyond what they want to see."

It's hard to look away though, even if it does offend you. We're talking about dead rodents, with faces and limbs, hanging from your wrist, crowning your head, holding your coins, etc. Looking at these pieces upsets some and intrigues others. Whatever the reaction, it's anything but lukewarm. At a cost of 100 to 2,000 pounds a piece, you can have one of your very own "conversation starters." Lady Gaga even wore one in a music video.

Take a look and let us know what you think about these dead animal accessories.

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Taxidermy Chic

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This is one of Peppard's most popular pieces, and arguably one of the more disturbing, or provoking, ones, depending on your take.

One of Peppard's more understated looks, the pigeon-wing necklace is also one of her most popular pieces.

This head piece is tied with the previous two as one of Peppard's best sellers.

"The tanning process (turning the skin into something like a leather) sterilizes the animals entirely," Peppard said. "However before I even start the taxidermy process all the animals are frozen. Most of the little critters and nastys that feed on the dead bodies will die off anyways when frozen."

"The process of taxidermy is a long one," Peppard said. "It requires much care, precision and attention. Without a doubt, the creatures that I use would be left to rot in the gutters if I didn’t pick them up."

Ranging from 100 to 2,000 pounds, these pieces come with a hefty price tag. "As I make everything to order, prices can and do fluctuate according to what someone wants," Peppard explained.

Some are more troubled by a piece like this, that clearly puts the rat on display, as opposed to a more subtle pigeon wing.
"Because of my Fine Art background, I approached the collection with an eye to make vermin or animals commonly thought of as "pests" into objects to be worn on the human body," Peppard said. "To me, the fact that some of these objects are less obviously from a pigeon/rat/mouse than others is insignificant."

From Peppard's blog: "This is another style of coin purse I've made out of rat fur. The skin is from one extremely large feeder rat which had a strange problem when it went through the tanning process. The skin separated from the hands, feet and face of the animal, forcing me to come up with a new design."

"Sometimes I get specimens from friends and from visits to the countryside," Peppard said. A friend found this dead pigeon, likely frozen to death by the London cold, Peppard said in her blog.

"I think that leaving these creatures to decompose in the streets/bin is a waste," Peppard said. "I preserve their beauty and make them into beautiful objects that can serve a purpose and act as a catalyst for discussion and thought."

RP/Encore was featured in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" music video. You can briefly spot the rat head piece at the 4:25 mark and at the very end.